Link's Reawakening
by Baby Kat Snophlake
Summary: Ganon returns but this time Link doesn't want to fight. He's tired of his life as an unappreciated hero, but a series of failed attempts prove that maybe he's not as unappreciated as he first thought. Warning: Attempt. suicide, mild language


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**EDIT-A/N (3-21-2010):** For those who have already reviewed, thank you, I truly appreciate your feedback. But if you are new to this story, please do not review unless you have **constructive criticism** to give me. I don't want to be told how good I am or how much I sucked if you don't have a reason for saying so. I'd rather you say nothing at all if you can't tell me why you liked or hated something. If I am out of character, if my writing sucks, if my plot sucks, if my description sucks, if my dialogue sucks, if my style sucks, if my vocabulary sucks, if I'm not interesting you, if I put in a deal-breaker, if I irritated a pet peeve, if I am missing something, if I don't meet expectation, if you think I have potential but have too much to say, if you wish I had done something--anything-- differently, if you just plain hate what I've done with a character, plot, action, description, suspense, if I failed at an attempt at using a writing tool, if I have spelling errors, if I repeat words, if I use the wrong word, if the first sentence didn't grab your attention and you want to hit the back button, if I have grammar errors, or any kind of errors at all for that matter, if something is wrong or doesn't feel right and you just can't put your finger on it, if you hate my title or summary, even if all you can say is, "you want to know why, but I'm not sure so I can't tell you. It just doesn't work" **with a copy of the quote that doesn't work for you**, please do me the honor of telling me so, even if it's in the form of an email, PM, or review, I don't care how you do it, just tell me. Yes, I am begging for concrit. But please don't leave feedback that simply says "that was good. Nice job." I want to know the **why**. Thank you.

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Link's Reawakening

**By Baby Kat Snophlake**

I was out in the field of Hyrule. The sun was high in the sky, and there were a few fluffy white clouds floating around. It was a normal pretty day, but I realized I could feel something. It was like I was getting pulled back into the darkness, but in all actuality I wasn't really going anywhere. I was just sitting there staring at Epona eating grass but I just knew that Ganon was coming back.

Or attempting to come back anyway. I've heard all the stories of how he returned and how it was a hero's job to send him back to the Dark Realm. I've already fought off evil once, so I have to do this again? Just the thought of returning to a life of running around killing things that endangered the world, solving mysteries, and trying to make sure Princess Zelda was still safe… I just stood up and threw my hat to the ground.

Why is it that I have to do it? I'm not even a guard at the castle. I'm just a teen-age kid that was chosen to get rid of the evil forces that terrorized the place. But I didn't like being responsible for everything the first time. I thought that once it was all over, I could just go home and live out the rest of my life in peace.

But the dark feeling in my stomach was growing worse. I was sure this was it. Ganon was coming back and his dark powers were getting stronger. He has many followers, none of which was I able to kill or at the least the powerful ones anyway. But the others were just creatures created by Dark Magic and they had no real souls. They were just evil creatures, only existing because they were told to roam the world and destroy whatever they wanted. Including me.

Several times they about killed me, and I really wanted to give up, but I knew the world would fall into trouble if I did, so I hung in there and eventually reigned victorious. What would have happened if I decided to quit? Well, I don't want to repeat that life I had before. Sure I feel the dark powers getting stronger, but who says _I_ have to do something about it? I risked my life last time to help these people and the only thanks I get were cheers for a couple days after I sent Ganon away. After that, it seemed people had forgotten about me. A week after, I could walk down the street without someone saying "Oh! It's Link!" or even "Hello!" People just went back to their lives as if nothing happened.

I finally stood up, thinking about how I could get out of fighting this time. I thought about skipping the country, or playing possum, but Zelda would find me somehow. Too late, I was right. Zelda was already on her way. I could see her on her snow white mount riding right for me, and I knew there was no way I could run now. She would chase me down like a ravenous wolf on a fawn. So I stood right where I was.

"Link! Can you feel it?" Her face was somewhat paler than usual and her voice was streaked with panic. Reluctantly I started to nod, but then I stopped. I just looked at her, right in the eye and calmly answered her.

"No. What are you feeling?" Sure it was a complete lie, but _she_ didn't know that. Her jaw just dropped.

"You don't feel it? Ganon is coming back!" I just cocked my head aside like I was confused. Zelda looked around desperately as if Ganon was going to show up any minute. "You have to do something about it!"

"I do?" I asked like she was making a small request, and not asking me to risk my neck for a whole world of ungrateful people. Zelda was obviously surprised. She leapt down off her horse.

"Yes, you do! What's the matter with you?" Did I dare tell the truth? Hell no! I'd sooner sell Epona!

"Well, you see…I have a problem." I tried to act embarrassed. I supposed it was working because she was concerned immediately. In my head, I was smiling. I just might get out of this.

"Well… what is it?" Hmm… Lie, or tell the truth… they both weighed on my mind, one more heavily than the other. Oh, well, I'm just risking a few thousand lives who could care less about me and what I did for them the first time… most of them troglodytes from town. Now, I just needed to come up with an embarrassing lie.

"Well… it's just…" Come on Link! Think fast! I shook my head. "I don't know what's wrong. I haven't been feeling like I normally do." I could have done better, but I supposed it might work, so I made sure I didn't look at her to add to the affect.

"What is it that feels so different?" Uh oh. She didn't sound like she believed me. Okay, new idea. I uh…

"For one, I have… stomach… problems." Yeah, great, nice one, Link. There aren't many stomach problems that would stop _you_. You are the Hero of Time, who will stop at nothing, even when you're an in inch from death. Sleep, eating, drinking, and potty breaks have yet to stop you! Potty breaks? My eyes suddenly went wide. I had come up with the perfect answer. "You know… Diarrhea." I slowly returned my eyes back to Zelda. She had gone rather quiet so I wasn't sure what her reaction was, and I wanted to make sure she was buying it.

"Why aren't you near the bathroom then?" I turned around and pointed furiously to the Lon Lon Ranch, knowing full well there was a bathroom there somewhere. Where else would Malon and Talon go?

"Where do you call that!" Finally Zelda looked away.

"So you're not going to help the people just because you have to crap every half hour?" Dammit! She's playing at my conscience. Well, we'll just see about that.

"How much good can I be if I have to go all the time? I can easily be killed! I'd be better for the people when I'm better." I tried to reason desperately, but that demon of a Princess just had to press the subject.

"By the time you get "better" Ganon will probably have already taken over again. It may be too late for you." I had to get out of this situation. I forgot my perfect solution was staring me in the face. I screwed up my face to plead my case further when I realized that I _was_ claiming to have Diarrhea.

"Well, it's not quite too late for me, but just about." I quickly hurried away for the ranch in a desperate attempt to make it to the bathroom. I didn't bother to look back because I knew she was watching. If I had been able to look back, then it wasn't a real emergency, and I didn't want _her_ to know that. So, true to my words, and to help my case, I stormed into the outhouse by the barn and occupied the privy.

Now inside the bathroom, I sat there trying to think of what to do now. Once I'd step foot outside the outhouse, I knew Zelda would be waiting for me and asking me if I feel any better. So I sighed and sat there for a while holding a cloth over my face.

After about ten minutes, I decided while I was here that I probably should just go anyway, so I did.

Finally I decided to just face the wrath of the Princess standing outside, but I was surprised to see no one was there. I grinned thinking that I got rid of her, so I happily made my way out of the ranch. I suddenly stopped short when I noticed the Princess of Hell herself was coming my way. I sighed wondering what I could tell her now.

"Do you feel better?" She asked me, and I knew she would too. I only shrugged my shoulders.

"For now, but you can't forget I'll be back in there later." I found it odd that all of a sudden she cocked her head aside.

"Did you leave the door open?" At first I had no idea why she would ask this, so I answered truthfully thinking I was going to get out of this anyway.

"No, I shut it why?" I knew I said the wrong thing when all of a sudden she grew quite angry, but her voice was amazingly calm.

"You don't have diarrhea. Now why are you avoiding this situation?" Of course I was completely lost. How in the hell did she know about my lie? Think back, think back, think back… what did you say? Failing to come with an answer, I just asked her.

"How did you know I don't have diarrhea?" She automatically threw her hands to her hips and glared at me.

"No person in their right mind is dumb enough to leave a door closed on the outhouse if they have diarrhea and are planning on going back to that outhouse real soon. Now what is going on?" Great. Now I need to come up with another lie. Maybe I should tell the truth? No, she'll kill me. But if I accept this mission, the creatures will kill me. Either way I end up dead. Zelda said something and snapped me out of my thoughts.

"What?" I asked looking at her stupidly.

"Don't you feel the dark power growing stronger?" Say no! Ugh, I wanna say no. Well then what the hell is your problem!

"I don't…" Okay, that works too. Actually, it prevented a whole big mess not saying what I wanted to say.

"I don't believe you." She watched me carefully. I just knew she was trying to figure out what was wrong. So I decided to finish my sentence.

"Care." It just sort of fell off my lips. My mouth was still open when she cocked her head aside, confused. I can't believe I just said what I said, but I was relieved to find, Zelda didn't quite understand my meaning.

"What was that?" She asked me, though her voice sounded half curious, half angry. I was getting rather irritated myself. Before long, she would drag it out of me. "Would you repeat that please?" Don't ask me that! I stammered, but I finally answered her question just to get it over with.

"I said that I don't care." Immediately she scoffed at me.

"You don't care." She said dryly and threw her hands up into the air. "Are you hearing this?" She asked the closest guard. That guard just shrugged. "He says he doesn't care." Her eyes snapped back to me. "About what?" GR! Put it all together dammit! What else were we talking about that I would say I don't care about?

"Anything! How many of these people really care about me? And how many people should I really care about? Because they don't care about me, so why should I care about them?" Zelda looked really confused now. Though her face showed a mean kind of confused, like I was a rambling idiot trying to hit on her sister… If she even _had_ a sister. I wouldn't know, I don't live at the castle.

"What! What are you talking about? It's your _duty_ to protect those people!" Dammit! First emotion, now duty, what's next? My mortal body will rot in the ground while my soul spends the rest of eternity in the Dark Realm?

"Are you insane! I don't like living like that!" Oops. I wasn't supposed to say that aloud. My pose I held when I stopped all movement clearly expressed my concern that I said something I didn't really mean to say. Sadly enough, Zelda saw through that.

"You don't _want_ to do your job? Who does!" She threw her hands up in the air. "But you do what you have to do, to do what you are supposed to do. You do what you are hired to do." Now wait a minute! Okay, you were supposed to say that, not think. I shook my head.

"Now wait a minute! I was never hired! I don't get paid for this! I was just "chosen" by the Goddesses to take this turn and send Ganon to where he belongs until I die. What do I get out of this?" Zelda sighed heavily and stared at me.

"Didn't you like the feelings you got when it was all over and done? I'm sure you liked all the girls you got to meet." Dammit! I was wrong. Girls were target number three.

"Sure, but I can meet them without having to fight Ganon and his cronies. In fact, I might actually settle down one of these days if I was actually given the _time_ to. But hey, I'm not complaining about getting one night stands once in a while, but if fighting those damn creatures all the time is the alternative, then I'd rather go without." I was almost surprised to see Zelda's eyebrow raise.

"Really?" She asked dryly. I felt horrible. Like she was mocking me or something.

"Well, it's the only real benefit, really. I mean, yay! Someone's holding me up on their shoulders and recognizing that what I did was great, but that never lasts. It never takes long for those same people who adored me to ignore me like I was the muck on their shoes. I saved those people's lives and for what? Tell me. Because I feel like I haven't gained a thing." I stared hard at her, and almost grinned at her silence. She had no answer to that I supposed.

"Well for one, you'd live a better life." She answered finally. Dammit! Now she's appealing to my _life_!

"So I live like this for a little bit longer. It's this or live a life of fighting again. Huh, the choices seem so unappealing right now." But there is another option. Don't you dare tell _her_ that. Actually, that sounds like a good idea. I figured it out. I finally figured out how to get out of this situation.

"But Link, think about it. If you save these people's lives again, you can live like you are now for a little bit longer. I mean, that lifestyle will never last forever." But an endless cycle does, Princess. That's why they call it endless! Ganon will just come back after a few years to haunt us again! But though this was what I was thinking, I told her something completely different.

"Okay, fine. I'll fight." Zelda's face lit up.

"I knew you'd make the right choice!" She hurried over, hugged me, and boarded her mount to ride off again. I just stood there watching her. Thank the Ladies for White Lies. Now all I had to figure out was how to do what I was thinking. There were several different ways. Some noble, some out of pure stupidity, and others that were just plain crazy. But it really didn't matter how. All I had to do was just do it.

Looking around, I searched for the perfect tool. I saw a few chickens (no, too painful) a cliff (the bottom would hurt terribly as well) and everything else I saw only seemed to cause a lot of pain. But I realized water. Water doesn't hurt! I could drown! Heh! I rubbed my hands together excitedly and hurried to Epona. I mounted her and rode back home where I kept my stuff, and I grabbed the heaviest pair of boots I had. Leaving my blue tunic behind, I rode for Lake Hylia where no one should find me for days. I strapped up the boots and walked into the water, step by step. Each step brought the water further up my body, but I just sucked in all the oxygen I could and allowed the water to reach up to my neck. Finally, I ducked my head under the water and leapt forward down to the bottom of Lake Hylia. I took one last look at the surface above me when my feet hit solid ground.

I just stared up at the light colored surface and swayed gently with the water currents. Several fish passed by over me, but I realized I couldn't hold my breath anymore. Finally, I opened my mouth to inhale air, naturally only getting a lung full of water instead. Sure I knew I was going to in-take water, but my body didn't realize that, I supposed, and I started to panic. Telling my brain to leave those laces alone on my boots was hard to do. My brain was screaming at me. My lungs were hurting, but it was more sore than the way a wound would feel.

The moment finally came when I blacked out. That wasn't such a bad way to go. The hurt I suffered wasn't much, and it wasn't really that difficult. But I wasn't counting on the three Goddesses to come down and save me. I suddenly felt something pounding me on the back and I opened my eyes, coughing up water like crazy. I heard a voice.

"He's alive now. Let's go. Someone has already gone for Zelda." I turned around just in time to see three golden colored women vanish. Dammit! The Goddesses are now appealing to my life. This was going to be harder than I thought then. I had to do this in such a way that even the Goddesses think it was an accident. How in the hell does someone do that?

I heard galloping and I knew it was Zelda again. She flew off her animal and attached herself to my side before I even realized that she was there picking me up.

"Are you okay?" She sounded worried as usual, but it was in the back of my mind. A curious little question I wondered. Did she know it wasn't an accident? "You had me so worried when someone said you just walked into the lake! What were you thinking!" Again, I decided to lie.

"I thought I'd go to the Water Temple first, but I guess I forgot my Zora tunic." I answered in what I thought was a truthful manner, but I wasn't so sure she'd take it like I hoped she would.

"Well that's silly of you! You could have been killed!" She held me extra tight and I smiled inside again. I can't believe she believed me! Then she suddenly pulled away. "That's also not like you." I only shrugged innocently.

"I wasn't thinking. I was more concerned about killing the creature inside the temple." Zelda smiled at me and I felt triumphant. My insides were singing as I boarded Epona and turned her so she facing the way to the field.

"Well, just be more careful next time." I nodded smiling still.

"Oh, I will." I answered back. "I'll be _very_ careful next time." Yeah, making sure no one is around and that the Goddesses can't do a thing about it. "But for now, I need to go back to my house and get a few things." Zelda smiled and allowed me to go. I sighed heavily on my way home. There just had to be something I could do that no one would see me do, and I can get away with it!

That's when I noticed Death Mountain. Smoke was slowly rising out of the top and the usual gray cloud that formed a ring above the summit. I could just "fall" into the lava. The more I thought about, the better it sounded. The death would be quick enough that I would only feel the burning for a few seconds and then I wouldn't see anything but black and I wouldn't remember it at all. After all, I didn't remember the Goddesses pulling me out of the water. And they would be too late to get me out of the lava. By the time they'd get to me, I'd already be gone beyond dead.

Instead of riding back to the forest, I just rode up the mountain to the summit. I looked down at the red molten rock, and I looked around again to make sure no one had followed me. Below me was only a large boulder on the flat and the lava. This was perfect! I prepared for the fall, kicked some rocks, and forced the area to look like I had fallen off the edge. Then I just leapt for it, but I let out an unexpected scream. Again, my mind knew what I was doing, and the fact that I wanted to do it, but my body was telling me I was scared again. But this time, I knew there was nothing I could do to stop it from happening, so I worried about nothing.

Until I heard someone call my name. Now where the hell did he come from? I suddenly found myself caught and being held up by a Goron who was wading to shore. He only let me down when he himself was standing on the flat and I tried not to glare at him.

"Are you okay? I heard your scream I woke up and saw you falling!" I looked around and realized the boulder I saw was no boulder, but merely a Goron taking a nap. My eyes narrowed hatefully.

"Yeah, thanks. I just slipped and fell from up there." I pointed to the spot where I made my skid marks and the Goron gave me a quick hug.

"I'm so glad you're okay!" I pulled him off of me immediately feeling rather disgusted. Why didn't he just let me fall!

"Yeah, I'm fine." I tried to sound pleasant as I walked away leaving the Goron behind me waving frantically. This was crazy! Can't a guy kill himself anymore? Or do I have to count on Ganon to do that for me! Okay, I have to be more careful next time and do this right! Where else and how else could one end his own life? What about an archery place? I thought I could accidentally get in an arrow's way or shoot myself. I knew exactly how to get arrows to bounce off an object and come right back to me. Yes, that's what I'll do! I'll go to Gerudo Fortress for the Training Grounds and finish myself off there.

So I found my trusty steed and headed for the desert. With my membership card, I was able to get into the fortress without any trouble. I rode right for the Training Grounds, paid the guard there the money needed to get inside, and I walked inside. There were a few pots here and there and a couple of pillars. All I needed was to find the right angle.

I placed a few pots on top of each other to form a pillar of pots and I stacked them in just the right place. Then I positioned myself so I could fire an arrow, and it would strike the edge of the stone pillar, bounce off at an odd angle, smack into the pots, change direction again, and head right for me. I aimed my arrow and released, watching it slam into the stone, and then another horrible voice rang through the air.

"LOOK OUT!" I suddenly found myself on the ground with a Gerudo girl on top of me and my arrow stuck itself into the stone wall behind where I was. I gently pushed the girl off.

"Thanks." I said gently despite the horrible things I wished happened to her. She stood up and smiled.

"You bet, Link! Glad to help you!" I paused. It was odd to hear someone call my name when I never even met her before.

"Why is that exactly?" I asked curious. "And where did you learn my name?" The girl only grinned at me.

"I heard of the wonderful things you've done. Mom always tells us the story about how a great warrior saved our home and the lands beyond! You truly are amazing! It really is an honor to return the favor!" I just nodded to the girl and placed a fake smile on my face. "But you should be more careful with your bow and arrows. What were you doing?" Of course I _had_ to lie.

"Well, I was hoping I could indirectly break pots with arrows. I know I can shoot right at it and break it, but I've never done it indirectly before." The girl nodded, and hurried to move the stack of pots.

"Then you need them here." She then planted herself behind me and watched. I sighed, knowing I'd have to go through with my words just to keep her happy. I drew an arrow across the bow and fired at the stone pillar. To my surprise, a pot shattered and the rest fell over. I straightened my back, impressed.

"Wow! That was cool!" I couldn't believe that little girl's accuracy. She was way younger than me, but she was still able to make my little experiment work. I stood awestruck for a moment before I realized the girl was standing in front of me, looking up pleasantly. "Thanks!" I said, rubbing the top of her head.

"You bet!" She answered back, as I walked out of the door. It was when I saw Epona when I realized I still hadn't done what I wanted to do. I sighed and boarded my mount again, riding her back to the field. There had to be somewhere I could go and finish this!

A cold wind blew past me as I rode slowly across the field and I remembered the ice caves behind Zora's Domain. All I had to do was dive into the water, and stay in the cave for a while. I would freeze to death! I hurried Epona for the river and along it upriver to Zora's Domain. I ran to King Zora's flat and passed him to the lake where Jabu-Jabu was currently swimming. I dove into the water and swam for the cave, climbed back out and stepped inside. It didn't take me long before I started to get cold, so I finally sat down and allowed my body to slowly freeze.

I had eventually fallen asleep, but when I woke up I was surprised to find I was in a warm place. Finding this rather odd immediately, I snapped to full attention and found myself surrounded by fires and covered in blankets of fish hide sewn together. I looked up to see a Zora was boiling water over one of the fires.

"What are you doing?" I asked him, and he turned around with a bowl in his hands.

"You were freezing. I had to bring you here to warm up." He set the bowl down on the ground beside me and stuck my left hand in it. I immediately felt the effects of the water on my bladder, but I realized I didn't pee that much. Sitting up, I threw the blankets off me and found I had made a nice little yellow puddle.

"Aw man!" I hurried to the pool of water nearby and washed myself off. That's when I realized I was stark naked and I turned to face the Zora. "Where are my clothes?"

"They were wet, so I gave them to the shop keep and he is warming them up and drying them off for you." I was getting really frustrated now. My hands were cold, I was butt naked after recently being covered in pee, and I had yet to finish the job I started. I sighed and went looking for the shop keep to get my clothes back. I found him and he graciously handed me my clothes. But it wasn't just the tunic. He had given me a whole outfit of warm fish skin.

"What's this for?" I asked about the skin. The shop-keep Zora smiled.

"Well, it repels water, so next time you decide to take a dive and go into the cave you won't freeze like that." He paused and cocked his head aside. "What were you doing in there anyway?"

"Well, I was looking for blue flame that wasn't so expensive," I lied quickly. He smiled and pulled out a bottle of blue flame.

"Here. Take this one, free of charge." I took it, muttered my thanks, and left the shop. This not being able to kill me was killing me! I had to do something that absolutely no one would see me doing. I realized my last option was going to the forest. I found Epona by the river, mounted her again, and rode her back to the forest.

Once there, I left Epona outside the forest, and stepped into the village where the Kokiri kids lived. I climbed the wall leading to the Lost Woods and I wandered around the woods for a while trying to decide how to kill me now. I tried drowning, falling, shooting, and freezing, but now the last thing to do was just stab myself and bleed to death. I sat down and pulled out my dagger, slowly sank it's blade into my abdomen, pulled it back out, and I watched the blood suddenly run out. It made me kind of sick to watch it, so I just laid down and let my blood run until it killed me.

But again, I heard voices. This time young voices were yelling at each other.

"Link is bleeding! We have to get him some help!" Within minutes, several kids were dragging me along the ground. I was getting kind of weak, so I couldn't do anything about it, and just let them take me wherever. As it turned out, they took me to a spring and washed out the blood, and then another kid showed up. She placed wads and wads of cloth over my stab wound and was pushing down on my stomach. After a while of laying there, I just went ahead and nodded off.

When I woke up, still disappointed that I woke up again, I got up, and looked around. I was in a Kokiri's home and there were several of them looking at me worriedly.

"I'm okay." I slurred. "You don't have to worry about me." With that I was headed out the door, but all at once, the kids hurried over and surrounded me, begging me not to go. "I'm going to see a doctor okay? That's all." I stood there for several minutes reassuring them I was going to be fine. Finally, when I was able to go, I hopped onto Epona's back and rode back out into the field.

This was the most depressing part of my life. I couldn't kill myself even though I wanted to, and there was nothing I could do to finally get it over and done with. I thought about just giving it up. But that was before one final ray of hope showed up. Ganon had returned and brought his minions with him, and several of them caught up to me on the field. Within seconds, I was on the ground, just taking the beating I was receiving. I decided it didn't matter how bad it hurt as long as I would finally go.

The creatures scratched at me, kicked me, and threw me around, stabbing me, and carrying on, but I never fought back. Aside from the fact that I was too weak to do anything about it anyway even if I wanted to. That was when I heard another voice call out.

"Hey! Leave him alone!" Several more voices followed.

"Yeah! Get off of him!"

"Let's get them guys!"

"I'm going to rally the town!" I couldn't believe what I was hearing. A few people from the Kakariko were leaving it, and they saw these creatures attacking me. They hurried over and used pitchforks and sticks to call off the creatures, and soon there came reinforcements. People from the Kakariko were brandishing various types of weapons and they were all out to save me.

My eyes went wide and I found the strength to get up on my hands and knees. I just sat there in the middle of a ring of villagers carrying whatever they could find, keeping the creatures at bay. Finally, the creatures backed off, and the people turned their attention to me.

"We've got to get him to the doctor!" Someone shouted and I spoke up.

"You can just carry me to the doctor." I didn't know what made me say it, or why I felt the way I did. But as soon as I spoke, three villagers took my head and arms, two held up my body, and two more carried my legs. All seven of them took me to the doctor in Hyrule Castle Town Market. To my surprise the whole of Kakariko Village followed too. And there was something under a large blanket in the middle of the town. I didn't think about what it could be until later. Right now, I just wanted to quit hurting.

The doctor gave me some medicine to stop the pain, and he covered me in bandages.

"You should feel better now." I smiled and nodded.

"Yeah, I do." I looked around at all the concerned faces. When I made eye contact with various people, they each in turn would ask me if I was okay. I'd nod and answer that I was, but apparently it wasn't enough. They had to hug me to make sure. I then noticed the pillar-like thing standing in the middle of town and I took the moment to inquire about it.

"Oh, I've been working on that since you sent Ganon away." One man admitted, holding up a chisel and hammer. "I really do hope you like it. The whole town funded my work and helped me out with some it." He then turned to someone else and told them to get ready to pull the cover off. Then he told everyone to move so I could see it clearly. "Can you see it?" He asked me.

"Yes, I can. Very well." I smiled and the guy gave the signal to pull on the sheet. My jaw fell when I saw what it was. The guy had carved a statue of me out of stone and at the bottom was a dedication plaque, with the names of every villager surrounding it, and at the base all the way around, carved into the stone.

"We just thought we'd show our appreciation for you. You saved our lives when you sent him away." One woman explained. I couldn't believe it. These guys remembered the whole time, and they were planning on making a memorial about it.

"I can't believe it! You guys really do care about me don't you?" I looked around again and all the faces were nodding with most of the people saying, "Yes, we do. We all do." And it suddenly occurred to me how true that was. When I tried to drown myself, there was a villager from the lake who had run to Zelda to help me, while the Goddesses came down from their places to help me. Then the Goron was there to save me from the lava, and the little Gerudo Girl from the Training Grounds, and the Zora who had rescued me from the cold cavern and prevented me from freezing to death, and finally, the Kokiri kids who stopped my bleeding and saved my life from doing that. Then the whole village had come to rescue me from the creatures who were attacking me. They had all saved my life, and I suddenly realized that it was because they truly did care about me. They really had appreciated me helping them out before, and now they were all returning the favor. I stood up bravely and stood tall puffing out my chest proudly.

"I thank you all for helping me out. But now I sense something is wrong, and I must do something about it." With that I ran for Hyrule Castle to tell Zelda I was ready to help her. And I was able to bring up the courage, strength, and power to pull through even the tough moments when I was sure Ganon's creatures would finally do me in. Even at times when I wondered why I was doing this, times when I felt I should give up, I remembered that statue standing in Hyrule Castle Town Market, and all that the people have done for me, and I find new strength and the will to carry on. But the number one thing I realized was that I may be fighting these battles all alone, but no matter what, most of Hyrule was standing behind me, watching my back, so I knew that once I got started on my mission to stay alive and protect Hyrule, I was invincible, and I would keep going until Ganon was sent back to the Dark Realm where he belonged. And it was no surprise when I finally stood at the top of Hyrule Castle with Zelda at my side and looked out to see a world that was peaceful once again.

* * *

This story has always been dedicated to my friend Tomika Bakolias from Australia. I wrote it with her in mind while she was still alive and as encouragement for her to continue fighting. However, I had gotten a job that prevented me from being on at the same time I used to be and I wasn't there for her when she needed me the most. She passed away on March 7th, 2003 following her younger sister who died in 2002. Because of abuse from their mother's sick boyfriend, both girls committed suicide after several attempts. Despite a review that says this was the worst thing they ever read, (I believe that person never actually read the story but was just spamming my review page) and a review that said I should've just killed Link off (from another site I posted this story), I hope to keep the memory alive of my friend. RIP Tomika, I still haven't forgotten you.

--Kat


End file.
